Ohio State Buckeyes' offensive line comes up big in win over Michigan State Spartans

By JOHN KAMPF

Monday, October 1, 2012

COLUMBUS -- There comes a time when pride becomes an issue.

For the Ohio State offensive line, that time came with 4-minutes, 10-seconds on the clock during the Buckeyes' 17-16 win over Michigan State on Saturday.

With a one-point lead, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer wanted a few first downs to salt away the rest of the clock. But he wasn't all that confident the Buckeyes would be able to do the job.

"When I saw the time on the clock," Meyer said Monday during his weekly news conference, "I thought we were going to have to punt that ball."

Meyer explained everyone in Spartan Stadium knew the Buckeyes were going to run the ball and extra defenders would be devoted to stopping the run and forcing the punt.

The punt never happened.

Behind an impressive six-play push by the OSU offensive line, the Buckeyes ran out the remaining time and clinched the road victory.

For their efforts, the members of the offensive line were named the offensive player -- or in this case players -- of the game by Meyer.

"Corey Linsley, Andrew Norwell, Marcus Hall, Reid Fragel and Jack Mewhort," Meyer said, naming off the starting linemen. "Very proud of their effort and what they did. So it's great to have an offensive line grade out as your player of the game. You usually win that ballgame."

Ohio State ran for 210 yards against a Michigan State defensive line Meyer considers one of the best in America. He said 15 knockdown blocks and the game-deciding drive swayed him to give the player of the game nod to all five linemen.

Meyer's opinion of his team's offensive line has come a long way. He questioned the unit's function-ability during spring drills and virtually bit threw his lip when the Buckeyes failed to score from the 1 during the season-opener against Miami (Ohio).

Mewhort said the opinion of the OSU line has long been a sticking point with he and the other members, even before Mike Adams, Michael Brewster and J.B. Shugarts departed after this past season.

"I think last year hurt us a little bit," Mewhort said. "We've been kicked a lot. A lot of things have been said about us."

Most have been negative.

After Saturday's performance down the stretch, the positive is being accentuated.

"The way they handled those last four minutes," receiver Corey Brown said, "they dominated those last four minutes of the game. I think it's a real big confidence-booster."

Added Hyde, who carried the ball three times for 18 yards on the game-clinching drive, "They heard the same thing Coach Meyer told me, 'We get this first down and it's game over.' They took it to heart like I did."

The going is not going to get any easier for the 12th-ranked Buckeyes and their offensive front. No. 21 Nebraska visits Ohio Stadium on Saturday with a stingy defense that will be geared to stop the Buckeyes' running game.

Both Meyer and offensive line coach Ed Warriner said the OSU offensive line is not a finished product. Meyer laments depth questions.

"I can't say we have seven, eight. We don't," Meyer said. "We have five guys right now."

But it's a group that got the job done when the Buckeyes needed and will be called upon more as the season progresses.

Meyer said his offense isn't where he wants it to be. Even though the Buckeyes are averaging 33.6 points and 418 yards per game - including a 224-yard-per-game rushing average -- Meyer said the Buckeyes are not "this high-flying, high-octane offense yet."

If the final drive at Michigan State is any indication, the Buckeyes can still line up and run the ball when needed.

They might need to do that until the flashy offense Meyer envisions develops.

"I was confident (in the final drive)," Warriner said. "I walked down the sideline as we gained position. I remember smiling. 'This is great. 17-16 and we've got the ball. Let's go win a game.'

"It was good to be able to finish off the game we did."

The rest of the members of the Champions Club from the Michigan State game were: Defensive player of the game Etienne Sabino, as well as Johnathan Hankins, Ryan Shazier, Bradley Roby, Travis Howard and John Simon from the defensive side, with Zach Boren and Jeff Heuerman joining the offensive line in the club.